Kaytee grit

Don't give you chicks any grit.

They should just be eating the chick started food.  The don't need grit to digest that, and the food also has the correct amount of calcium.

They will only need grit when they are older, if the food does not contain it.  Most layers pellets contain grit mixed in already.  Also if they are allowed to free ranger when older they will find all the grit they need themselves.  

I had a bad very upsetting time when my pet parrot died.  I had him for many years and someone came to my house and told me I was looking after him wrong and he needed grit to digest food. I was so worried I went out and bought some from the pet shop.  My bird seemed to like it and ate at and I thought I was doing a good thing.  

Then, a few days later he started to wretch and this lead to him throwing up brown slime.  I took him to the vet and he had got a crop infection from eating too much of the grit.  He never recovered and I was heart broken as I watched him get worse and finally die about a week later, despite lots of expensive treatment.  I will never give any of my cage birds grit again......and they are all healthy and living long lives.

They make "chick grit" for the wee ones. I was told to just make it available to them. If you can bring back the Kaytee. Look onlinr=e for a place that sells farming supplies 

it should look like this. Mine cost 6.99. They do spill and waste it, and play in it, but then it falls into the shavings and they love to peck around and look for it

Your chicks dont need all the calcium that is in Kaytee Hi-Cal grit and will/can do more harm than good by feeding it to them. 

Chicks at a week old should be on chick starter and there is no need for grit when you are feeding chick starter.

Chris

Quote:

Originally Posted by jak2002003 

Don't give you chicks any grit.

 

They should just be eating the chick started food.  The don't need grit to digest that, and the food also has the correct amount of calcium.

 

They will only need grit when they are older, if the food does not contain it.  Most layers pellets contain grit mixed in already.  Also if they are allowed to free ranger when older they will find all the grit they need themselves.  

 

I had a bad very upsetting time when my pet parrot died.  I had him for many years and someone came to my house and told me I was looking after him wrong and he needed grit to digest food. I was so worried I went out and bought some from the pet shop.  My bird seemed to like it and ate at and I thought I was doing a good thing.  

 

Then, a few days later he started to wretch and this lead to him throwing up brown slime.  I took him to the vet and he had got a crop infection from eating too much of the grit.  He never recovered and I was heart broken as I watched him get worse and finally die about a week later, despite lots of expensive treatment.  I will never give any of my cage birds grit again......and they are all healthy and living long lives.

Layer pellet does not have grit in it.. 

Chris

There's nothing wrong with giving chicks grit. It helps them to better break down whatever feed they are eating. The biggest concern is:

1) Giving them additional calcium. As has been pointed out, too much calcium will destroy their kidneys, so only give grit which is made for chicks and doesn't contain a stone that provides extra calcium in their diet.

2) The only other concern with giving very young chicks grit, is that it tends to be brighter and more attractive to chicks than their feed. Some will mostly pick out the grit and fill up on it, neglecting to eat enough food. We generally wait until they are two weeks old to feed them grit, at that age they don't seem to fixate on the grit the way they do when they are a week old and just learning what is what.
 

A pinch of sand goes along way...and in most cases it is free.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris09 

Layer pellet does not have grit in it.. 

 

Chris

Well I think yours many not have, but the stuff I buy sure does.  At first I thought I got a faulty batch as mixed in amongst the pellets were small bits of rocks. I know they are oyster shell and grit also.  I have bought several brands from several stores and they are all similar.

Guess it depends on where you are and what brand you buy.